News and notes from Penn State Hoops Media Day 2024

Penn State’s men’s basketball season begins in less than two weeks, folks.

Ahead of the second year of the Mike Rhoades era, which begins Nov. 4, the Nittany Lions held their annual media day on Wednesday afternoon.

The day began with Rhoades at the podium before seniors Ace Baldwin Jr., Nick Kern Jr. and Puff Johnson entered the stands at the Bryce Jordan Center. The group spoke to the media about team expectations, offseason improvements, team leadership and more.

About this year’s group of freshmen

Rhoades didn’t hesitate to say that people will see Penn State’s freshmen on the floor.

“I will play them and throw them into the fire. Some days it will be pretty good, other days as a newbie sometimes you learn by getting burned, but I will play them,” Rhoades said.

Rhoades spoke specifically about each rookie, describing how they impacted the team in the preseason and how they will continue to do so throughout the year. The 2024 recruiting class includes Dominick Stewart, Jahvin Carter, Miles Goodman, Hudson Ward and walk-on Joe Sedora.

Baldwin, a fifth-year senior, was a leader of the freshman group throughout the offseason, and like Rhoades, he was impressed with what the five had to offer.

“They are really good players and they help us compete every day. They are important parts of the team,” Baldwin said.

About managers

Penn State is led by five seniors, all returning to Happy Valley for their sophomore year: Baldwin, Kern, Johnson, D’Marco Dunn and Zach Hicks.

As the oldest players in the gym, the seniors knew what was expected of them, especially in their role as leaders for younger players. Johnson, who played three seasons at North Carolina before transferring to Penn State, is using his experience and that of his teammates to lead the Nittany Lions.

“All of us up here (Baldwin, Kern, Johnson) have played a total of 14 seasons of college basketball, so we understand what needs to be done. I just teach the young guys that and let them know that every game is going to be a fight,” Johnson said.

Baldwin is also helping his teammates adjust to college basketball, saying there’s a “good dynamic” between the freshmen and seniors since the younger group joined the team.

“The newbies come along, they just follow us as leaders and we move forward,” Baldwin said.

Johnson and Baldwin decided to return for their fifth and final year of play and Rhoades was glad they made that decision as they improve the team both on and off the field.

“Having them back makes our program better, but selfishly they’re just fun to be around. “You want to hit with these guys, and for all the seniors, these guys can go whenever they want,” Rhoades said. “If you make people want to be here to build something and leave their fingerprints on it, then you’re really proud of it.”

For improvement in court

Penn State made a big splash in the offseason recruiting big names, both through the high school recruiting cycle and through the transfer portal. Goodman, 6-foot-2, and Ward, 6-foot-1, came to the program as freshmen, while 6-foot-2 Yanic Konan Niederhauser and 6-foot-2 Kachi Nzeh were transfers from Northern Illinois and Xavier, respectively came.

After the graduation of the 1.90 meter tall Qudus Wahab and the transfer of the 1.80 meter tall Demetrius Lilley, Rhoades and his coaching team made it a point to replace this frontcourt talent.

“We have Yanic, Kachi and Miles, we recruited them for that reason. They’re versatile, big guys. They can all play together, they will play together so we can make it big,” Rhoades said.

Rhoades didn’t forget to mention the returning forwards, all seniors, and said he’s made progress since the end of last season. According to the head coach, strength was a big area of ​​development for his frontcourt in the offseason.

“Puff is not small. He may be an inch shorter, but he is stronger. He had a great summer in the weight room, he’s 15 pounds stronger and playing like that. Nick and Zach grew bigger and stronger. “Hudson gives us strength and he has a feel for the ball,” Rhoades said.

While Penn State only has two players over 6 feet tall, the team is confident in his ability down low. However, small ball will continue to be an important part of how the Nittany Lions operate.

“When you look at the squad, sometimes it’s just not always the size. It’s about desire and steadfastness, and we understand that. I think we can play big sometimes, but we’re going to play small,” Rhoades said. “I think we can play in different ways. We are ready for both.”

On Big Ten expansion

The Big Ten is now an 18-team conference after the addition of UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon, and with matchups against each of those teams coming up, the Nittany Lions talked about expanding the league.

Rhoades began by listing the benefits of having four teams across the country, including a trip to California, playing in historic arenas and playing all the time play on national television.

“You can travel all over the country to play college basketball on the biggest stage. “Who wouldn’t want to do that?” Rhoades said. “You can perform on national television all over the country, in great arenas, in front of big crowds, but now you can do it on the West Coast. “I think those are great opportunities.”

After listing the pros of expanding the Big Ten, Rhoades couldn’t think of any cons.

“You’re talking to a guy who used to coach Division III and has to drive the white vans, so I don’t know what the downsides are. If you accept a change and make the best of it, you’ll probably come out ahead. We can’t complain in this program. If you complain, you will be beaten. I think we’re all pretty lucky,” he said.

On team mentality

With a goal of making an NCAA Tournament appearance this season, Rhoades has instilled a “Why not us?” Mentality integrated into his team and the players responded well to it.

“It’s something we think about every day, especially the three of us coming back from last year’s season. “Really, why not us?” Kern said.

Rhoades said the sentence was due to the team’s progress, as he sees no reason why this team shouldn’t make the tournament, even if it is still months away.

“Let’s beat the teams in the Big Ten and get to the NCAA Tournament. Why not?” Rhoades said. “We have older guys who have struggled. We have some great pieces. We still have a long way to go, but let’s throw it on the table. Let’s talk about it.”